Adjustable chair



Dec. 28, 1954 R. P. RALSTON ADJUSTABLE CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 16. 1945 "MP W P a M a I M0 8 Dec. 28, 1954 R. P. RALSTON 2,698,047 I ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Original Filed Nov. 16, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 'Jnven (or Robert Palsfiozc.

' Gti-orizeg Dec. 28, 1954 R. P. RALSTON ADJUSTABLE CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Nov. 16, 1945 Unven i'or lPobrzP/Palszfozo Gi'i'orney United States Patent Ofiice 2,698,047 Patented Dec. 28, 1954:

ADTUSTABLE CHAIR Robert P. Ralston, Columbus, Ohio Substituted for application Serial No. 629,675, November 16, IMS. This application August 18, 1964, Serial No. 450,57

3 Unions. (Cl. 155Z7) This invention, which is a substitute of my forfeited application Serial No. 629,075, filed November 16, 1945, is directed to the improvement in chairs designed more particularly for the temporary use of an individual during superficial treatment, such for example as a barbers chair, a chair designed particularly for use in beauty salons or like purposes; the construction involving details designed for association to afford unusual and heretofore unprovided convenience in the use of the chair for any one of the particular purposes for which it is designed.

In the use of the chair for a barbers purposes, the construction is designed with a view to placing within the control of the barber a simple easily operated mechanical means by which the chair may be elevated or lowered as the occasion may require, or arranged in an upright or inclined position for the convenience of the barber or customer with the minimum of exertion or operation on the part of the barber to provide a chair which would place at the immediate and simple control of the barber a means by which the chair may be arranged for the utmost convenience in its use.

The invention further provides a chair which in connection with its use .in beauty salons may be adjusted readily and conveniently as to height in order that the operator may be well above the occupant of the chair for convenient treatment of the hair, or the chair may be adjusted to enable the operator by a simple personal operation to adjust the chair for the maximum convenience of the operator in carrying out the necessary treatments as well as for the maximum convenience and comfort of the customer during any one or all of the desired treatments.

The chair is further designed to avoid unnecessary or cumbersome parts and to occupy no unusual space over that conventionally provided in the usual chair for the purpose.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a View in side elevation of the improved chair, the chair being shown in an elevated position;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the improved chair showing the same in inclined position;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the chair showing the same in lowered position; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the chair illustrating particularly the construction of the rear of the chair.

The improved chair comprises a base 1 preferably, though not necessarily, of skeleton form, including an outer ring 2, an inner ring 3 connected to the outer ring by radial strips 4} which at their inner ends have upstanding sections 5 connected to and supporting the ring 3. The base also includes a cylindrical body 6 forming part of the upright or pedestal of the chair, which has a diameter slightly less than that of the ring 3 and which is mounted on the ring 3 in any conventional manner for independent rotation, in order that the chair may at will be turned to various positions. The chair is locked in a selected rotated position by a latch 7 designed to cooperate with any one of two or more notches 8 in the ring 3 and provided with an outstanding extension 9 by which the latch may be released by a simple operation of the foot when desired.

The pedestal, in addition to the body 6, carries an additional cylindrical body it) which fits slideably over the body 6 and is capable of being moved to a lowered position to bear upon the ring 3 or to be raised relative to the body 6 in the elevation of the chair, as

will later appear.

The means for mechanically raising and lowering the chair is mounted in the rotatable but otherwise fixed portion 6 of the pedestal and the portion 16 of the pedestal is cut out at 11 and 12 to permit such portion 10 to move to lowered position without interfering with the necessary projecting portions of the latch 7 and the raising and lowering means mounted in the lower portion 6 of the pedestal.

Any suitable means for raising and lowering the upper body 10 of the pedestal may be employed and one particularly adaptable mechanism for this purpose is sllgown 4in my Patent Number 2,308,714 dated January The mechanism for raising and lowering the chair may be controlled by an operating rod 21 actuated by a handle which for convenience in close storage of the chair, while providing suificient leverage for convenient operation, is made in two parts 34 and 35 hingedly connected at 36 with the part 35 which constitutes the actual hand grasping part provided with a sleeve 37 adapted when the parts 34 and 355 are aligned, to be passed over the hinge to the limit of a shoulder 38 on part 34 and maintain the handle parts in alignment for use. Of course, the sliding of the sleeve on the handle part 35 permits the handle to be folded for close storage as will later appear.

A conventional chair seat 45 is removably secured on the upper end of and moves with the pedestal part Alt). Arm rests 46 are mounted above the seat on the end portions of a U-shaped bar 47 which practically underlies the full length of the arm rests with the loop or cross-portion of such bar as 48 extending rear of the seat back 49 and passing through loops 56 of straps 51 secured to such back and extending downwardly and beneath the seat 45 at 52, the straps being hinged at 53 in rear of the seat to permit independent swinging movement of the back necessary for selective adjustment.

The back 49 is adjustable in a simple expeditious manner to the desired inclination by a rod 54 pivotally connected at its lower end to straps 55 underlying the seat 45 and receiving at its upper end a rod 56 formed with a series of notches 57 to be engaged by .,-,a latch 58 passing through an opening in the bar 54 and engaging the selected notch to hold the back at the desired inclination. The rod 56 is pivotally connected at 59 to the upper end of the back and bears against a spring 60 in the lower portion of the rod 54. The latch 58 is operated by a finger piece 61 and may be, obviously, adjusted to any desired inclination, the spring assisting in the control. A head rest 62 may be set at any desired angle by conventional set screws 63 as will be apparent.

The improved chair includes a conventional foot rest 64, conventionally formed at its lower end as at 65 of U-shape having a terminal shoe rest 66. This foot rest is made up of bar-like material spaced apart and connected by braces 67. The upper ends of the bars 68 making up the foot rest are pivotally connected at 69 to the forward end of the seat 45 and terminally connected pivotally at 7@ to the forward ends of the bar 47. The bars 68 are provided at their lower ends near the foot rest proper with lateral extensions 71 terminally provided with rollers 72 which, when the foot rest is in vertical position as shown in Figure 3, extend through a notch or slot 72' in the upper part 10 and bear against the lower part 6 of the pedestal. Thus, in any vertical adjustment of the seat the foot rest is held in proper vertical position for the convenience of' chair is in the extreme lowered position as indicated in Figure 3, the foot rest is on a plane with the bottom of the base. This positions the customer so that the operator can work above the head of the customer, highly desirable in the treatment of the hair and at the same time provide convenient access to the face and neck of the customer even when the operator is occupying a seated position on a chair or on a stool. Operation of the latch 9 conveniently accomplished by the foot of the operator, frees the chair for rotative movement as may be desired; the means for raising or lowering the seat and upper parts of the chair through the operating handle 34 and 35 may be readily and conveniently accomplished; while the inclination of the back for the proper positioning of the customer may be readily accomplished by the adjustment including the parts 54 and 56.

When the chair is not in use, the operating handle may be broken at the joint 36 to reduce the length of such handle and reduce the overall dimension of the chair when not in actual use.

The improved chair rests lower than any other beauty chair, resting to standard height chair to 18 inches, which gives the operator perfect vision on top of the customers head in forming a wave, giving scalp treatment, or wrapping the hair for a permanent wave. It also has a 9 inch elevation which gives the operator ease of wrapping the hair for a permanent on the nape of the neck, for cutting the hair, or styling the hair. This chair rested to its lowest position reclined, makes it possible for the operator to give an arch or facial while sitting on a standard height chair or stool, as the chair can be turned right or left by releasing the lock with the toe, mounted on the revolving cylinder.

For shampooing the hair, this chair is the last word in comfortable adjustment for both customer and operator, in reclining position, with drain board inserted in head rest position, by means of elevating convenience. It can be either raised or lowered to proper adjustment for comfort.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. An adjustable chair comprising a base, an upright pedestal on said base and including a lower member pivotally mounted on said base and an upper member movably supported by said lower member for vertical movement, means for relatively moving said telescopic members, a chair seat carried by said upper pedestal member, a leg rest pivotally mounted at the front of said seat and normally depending substantially vertically, a brace extending rearwardly of said leg rest, and

anti-friction means pivotally supported on the end of said leg rest for engagement with said lower pedestal member to permit vertical movement of said brace during bracing action.

2. An adjustable back chair having back locking means comprising a fixed bracket extending rearwardly from the chair seat, a sleeve pivotally mounted on said bracket, a rod pivotally mounted on the chair back and slideable in said sleeve, a spring in said sleeve and biasing said rod therefrom, a series of notches in said rod, an aperture in said sleeve for individually exposing said notches, and a manually operable latch on said sleeve and biased through said aperture for cooperation with a selected notch to secure said rod and sleeve in fixed relation.

3. An adjustable chair comprising a base, a seat, an upright pedestal including a lower inner member pivotally mounted on said base and an upper outer member telescopically surrounding said lower member and supporting said seat, a flange member fixed on said base and including a flange extending around and from the bottom of said pedestal, a latch mounted adjacent the bottom of said lower pedestal member and engaging said flange, notches in said flange for cooperation with said latch to hold said pedestal and seat in selected an gular position, means within said pedestal members for relatively moving said telescoping members, control means for controlling said means whereby said seat is selectively moved to various vertical positions, and a vertical slot opening through the bottom of said upper telescopic member for accommodating said latch to permit the complete telescoping of the upper outer member over the lower inner member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 300,538 Waring June 14, 1884 378,433 Cooper Feb. 28, 1888 506,200 Archer Oct. 10, 1893 585,913 Haynes July 6, 1897 605,974 Ritter June 21, 1898 700,779 Kent May 27, 1902 1,361,446 Conner et al. Dec. 7, 1920 1,425,325 Koken Aug. 8, 1922 1,654,455 Conwell Dec. 27, 1927 1,721,027 Meyer July 16, 1929 2,308,714 Ralston Jan. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 547,128 France Sept. 13, 1922 

